Rising in the East
by shellibby
Summary: Thomas is a vampire who recently joined the Cullens. On his first day in Forks High School, he meets a girl with a scent he can't resist. Edward offers his help, but everyone handles things differently. I know this is a bad summary but give it a chance!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Thomas Cullen?" my first period teacher, Miss Bailey, called. "The answer is…?"

"52." I grunted. Edward was right, high school was incredibly monotonous. It was only the second day, but I could barely stand it.

"That's right." She smiled. I gave her an overenthusiastic smile right back, but instead of glaring at me, she blushed and I heard her heartbeat increase.

_Great, at least my math teacher likes me,_ I thought sarcastically. Sure, she was probably 30, and I'm 102, but age is just a number, right? I fought the urge to chuckle out loud at the thought. Amusing myself in class was one way to help with my boredom, but laughing and grinning to myself wasn't very…normal. But then again, I wasn't normal anyway, so it shouldn't matter. Thankfully, the bell rang, and I forced myself to walk at a normal human pace to my next class.

My next few classes were a slow, boring blur. All this talk of things I already knew was driving me insane. How did the others survive this year after year? I wasn't even sure if I could last another day. Finally, it was time for lunch. But, of course, I would not be eating. I joined my "sister", Elizabeth, at our table alone. She wasn't actually my sister, and I was "18" when she was "17", but we had been partners for so long and when we came here, Carlisle wanted to keep us together to help us through high school. We were both pretending to be high school juniors. Before we had become vampires, we had both come down with yellow fever and were staying at the same hospital when a doctor by the name of Richard Gates found us and turned us into one of his kind. We did everything together with his son Benjamin and daughter Madeline, until we decided to travel and get away from Boston. Elizabeth and I wanted to break away from drinking human blood, so Richard sent us here to Carlisle, a good friend of his. Elizabeth and I had always been together, so she did feel like a sister to me in a way. I watched as she fiddled with her salad with a plastic fork.

"How is your day going?" she asked politely, not even looking up.

"Fine." I almost groaned. "Boring," I admitted. "But fine. You?"

"Same." She agreed. She looked like she was about to say something else when a group of three guys approached our table. One cleared his throat, and Elizabeth tossed her long, curly mahogany hair back in annoyance. As soon as she faced them, the vent opened and blew out a stream of air, bringing their scent to us. I felt the venom fill my mouth and the thirst burned my throat. We had much control, but it had been a while since we had hunted. I watched Elizabeth's pitch black eyes meet theirs and held my breath. "Yes?" she inquired.

"Hey, Elizabeth, right?" the tallest one asked. She nodded. "Uh, we were…uh…wondering if…you, uh…had a boyfriend?" I just realized that all of them were from the more popular, outgoing crowd. One wearing a faded football jersey stepped forward. Elizabeth's nostril's flared. _Hang in there,_ I silently encouraged her.

"Because we'd like to take you out if you're interested in one of us." He grinned arrogantly. I choked down a laugh so that I wouldn't breathe again. Guys like this were so…pathetic. Elizabeth smiled sadly at them.

"Yes, I do have a boyfriend, sorry." She said with fake sweetness.

"Oh, that's all right…bye." The boy mumbled, sounding extremely disappointed. He led his friends back to their table in a slow, sad manner.

"This is _torture_." She moaned.

"Who's you're 'boyfriend', El?" I smirked. She picked up a carrot stick and whipped it at me faster than any human eye could see, but I caught it easily.

"Shut up!" she laughed. I smirked at her, my day getting slightly better.

The next two periods went by a little faster. When the last bell rang I tried extremely hard to walk to my car at the right pace. Elizabeth had probably already left, considering her last class was a lot closer to the doors. On my way I spotted a girl just getting out of her car. I wondered what she could possibly be doing _coming_ here when school was over…maybe she had been ill and was picking up her assignments. She certainly didn't look ill, though. Her skin was tanner than most of the girls who lived here in Forks. She was pretty, too. Her blue eyes were bright and she had long brown hair that hung in waves down her back. She didn't see or hear me, though, and continued to make her way into the school. I found myself watching her. It wasn't like I had anything better to do, and her looks were particularly appealing to me. She wasn't the most gorgeous girl I had ever seen, but for a _human_, she was definitely attractive. Suddenly, the wind picked up. Her scent hit me full force.

It was the most delicious scent I had ever smelled in my entire 84 years as a vampire. I made a gagging sound as I tried to control myself, but I wasn't strong enough. I longed for the taste of human blood again, and this was the perfect opportunity. I would reach her in less than a second; there would be no time for her to scream. Maybe someone would see, but I didn't care, I'd kill them too if I needed to. I leaned forward, ready to spring. As soon as I launched, I felt someone tackle me hard into the woods with a loud clap. Instantly I found myself deep in the woods, and someone was holding me down.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you?" the voice shouted. It was Edward. I fought and struggled to get up, but I realized that Emmett was also holding me down.

"Get off me!" I growled.

"Fat chance." Emmett laughed.

"Did you realize what you were about to do?" Edward yelled.

"Edward, calm down…it was a mistake." Bella appeared in front of me now, a worry line creased in her forehead despite her tranquil demeanor.

"He could have exposed us all!" Edward pushed me down harder.

"At least Alice saw it coming. Come on, let's just get him back to Carlisle." She said calmly. The boys lifted me up just as the wind blew again. I lost control again as her scent managed to reach me, but it was no use. Emmett was too strong for me.

"Oh, she _does_ smell good." Bella observed, but we knew she wouldn't act on it. Her control was her biggest strength.

"I can't believe you, Tom." Edward said to me.

"Don't _you_ remember what it felt like, Edward?" I retorted.

"But I never hurt her." He spat.

"That's because you were in love with her!"

"I didn't even know her that first day! I wasn't in love with her yet."

"I don't know that girl either! So you're saying I'll fall in love with her?" I yelled.

"It's possible." He gave a small shrug while he was till holding onto me.

"You-" I started angrily.

"All right, all right, calm down guys!" Emmett bellowed. Somehow I remained quiet on the short run back to the house, but I was still fuming.

"I don't want to talk about it!" I announced as soon as I walked through the door. I barely paid attention to Esme's shocked expression and Carlisle calm, knowing face as Emmett let me go and I stomped up the stairs.

"Thomas?" I heard Ellie call softly as I passed by her room. I ignored her too. Alice would fill her in. I went into my room and slammed the door behind me. I was so angry at myself at that moment that I wished I could fall asleep…that I could forget about this for even a few hours. I had almost ruined everything that I had worked so hard for! The girl had never done anything to me to deserve to die. I was selfish. I was stupid. I could have ruined all of us in one little second. That one small mistake, that one moment where I had lost control could have cost us everything.

There was a small knock on my door, and I looked up to see Edward open it.

"Hello," he said quietly, staying in the doorway. I met his eyes, my anguish keeping me silent.

"I just thought I should s-" he started.

"I'm sorry." I interrupted, putting my head in my hands. I couldn't believe what I had done, and I didn't want to face him.

"I forgive you." He said sincerely. "But I'm not here to yell at you. You were right, the same thing happened to me. And although I was able to control myself, it was not easy, and I could have very well done the same thing as you."

I heaved a heavy, agonized sigh. His words were kind, but of little comfort. Reading my thoughts, he continued.

"I overreacted today. I was just frustrated when I found out from Alice what you were going to do. The situation was eerily similar to mine. It's true every vampire will probably go through something like this, but Alice saw other things as well that you're going to have to talk to _her _about. I know that you think this is as bad as it gets, but there is a war ahead for you…a battle fought against yourself. I just wanted to tell you that I'm here for you. I can help you get through this."

"Thanks." I managed to say, although it sounded a lot ruder than I meant. He nodded once before leaving me alone. I would talk to Alice later, I guess. But I already had an idea of what she was going to say. If my future was like Edward's had been, then I would either kill her or fall in love with her and maybe make her one of us. Like Edward had been, I didn't want to do either. But unlike Edward, I was sure I wasn't going to change my mind. I didn't even know the girl's name! I had never been in love before, and I was sure I wouldn't fall for a _human_.

"Thomas?" I heard Alice's wind-chime voice. I looked up to see her in the doorway now.

"I won't." I growled through clenched teeth. "I won't do either one! I won't fall in love with her and I won't make her one of us." Alice nodded.

"Will you kill her?" she asked.

"I don't know. I don't want to, but I don't know if I can help it." I admitted.

"Like I always used to tell Jasper, it's easier if you think of them as people. Her name is Olivia Nicole Cummings. She is an only child. She likes to read…romance novels mostly-" I swear I saw her lips curve up into a small smile as she watched my reaction. "And she likes going on long runs." Alice informed me.

"Yeah, ok." I mumbled, my tone letting her know that that didn't help me at all.

"Why don't you visit her? Edward used to visit Bella often those first few months. Emmett could come with you if you want…" she trailed off, her eyes brightening at her idea.

"Yeah, sure." I scoffed. Stalking her sounded like _so_ much fun… "I need to hunt though. I'm going tomorrow after school."

"Ok, just promise that when you get back, you'll at least visit her once. It will help you see what kind of person she is."

"Fine." I snapped as she left. I laid down on my bed and stared at the white ceiling as I heard Edward beginning to play the piano for Bella and Nessie.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Thomas's POV**

First period Algebra II/Trig was dragging already, and class hadn't even started. I was beginning to zone out when _her_ scent hit me. My head snapped up. _Fuck._

"Ahh, hello Miss Cummings. Welcome back." Miss Bailey greeted.

"Thank you." The girl replied politely as venom once again filled my mouth. _Control, control, control_ I chanted to myself.

"How was your cruise?" Miss Bailey asked.

"It was so much fun. I wish I was still there." She laughed. I wished that she was still there as well, and that she stayed there, away from me.

"That's wonderful. Anyway, you are seated by…Thomas Cullen." She announced. I gritted my teeth hard to keep from yelling in protest. Of course she would be seated next to me. Cullen and Cummings. Of course. Now, I might end up killing her. I inhaled her scent as she locked eyes with me and tried to keep my expression casual while my throat burned. I was almost 100% sure I looked mentally deranged, but it wouldn't matter as long as I focused on keeping her alive. She smiled at me as she sat next to me. I held my breath and prepared myself for the war inside me that was about to begin.

"Hello Thomas, I'm Olivia." She said in a friendly tone, eyeing me curiously. I nodded. Using the last bit of breath I had, I met her sea glass blue eyes and murmured, "Hello, Olivia. Nice to meet you." I couldn't manage a smile, but she seemed satisfied with my response as she turned to face the front of the classroom. She did not speak to me again, which was smart on her part. I watched her in my peripheral vision the entire period, as I had nothing better to do. She laughed lightly at Miss Bailey's failed attempt at a joke, and twirled her pencil through her small, thin fingers. That reminded me to fidget, and I shifted in my seat.

On her slightly tanned wrist I noticed a woven friendship bracelet and one of those yellow rubber band bracelets for cancer. I found myself wondering who made the woven bracelet for her, or if she had made it herself. Thankfully, I didn't think a guy would have bothered to make one of those. I almost grimaced at the fact that I was relieved by that. I was not going to fall for her. I wouldn't allow myself to. It wasn't safe for her or me. I didn't have those feelings for her right now, I knew, but they could develop later. There was always a possibility…

The bell rang, and I breathed again, struggling with all I had to keep from killing her. I felt myself starting to loose control when she caught my eye and blushed faintly. _Run!_ I silently begged her. Without looking back at me, she left the room to go to her next class. I breathed a sigh of relief, inhaling the fresher air eagerly.

"Tom, are you alright?" Miss Bailey asked, furrowing her brow.

"Yeah, I just got a little nauseated. I'm fine." I said as I stomped out of the classroom. Each period was more uncomfortable than the one before it. Unfortunately, the girl was in my English and History class, and also my lunch, as I was just now finding out.

I quickly sat down at my table and pretended to be engrossed by my sandwich. Elizabeth sat across from me, and I looked up long enough to see her mouth open to say something.

"I'm fine." I snapped.

"Ok, good afternoon to you too." She mumbled sarcastically.

"Sorry. I just-"

"I know." She interrupted, fiddling with her usual salad and ranch dressing. I smelled Olivia once again, and my body tensed. Elizabeth followed my gaze. "Which one is she?" she asked nonchalantly, as if we were discussing who was captain of the cheerleading squad or the student council president.

"The one in the white sweater." I said through my clenched teeth. I had avoided looking at her all day, and now I noticed the way the sweater hung loosely off her right shoulder and exposed much of her delicious collarbone…I gripped my empty water bottle as I fought the temptation of her blood and her body.

"Thomas!" Elizabeth gasped at my actions. I barely heard her but forced myself to look down. My stainless steel water bottle was now a small crumpled ball in my closed fist. I grunted in frustration at my ability to loose control so easily as I tossed it in the trashcan. My eyes found their way back to her as she sat at her table, and her eyes met mine. My breathing sped. She turned to the girl next to her. It was Jill Hughes, a volleyball player.

"Do you have any classes with that guy?" Olivia asked her.

"Who?" Jill inquired, her eyes frantically scanned the cafeteria in search of whomever Olivia was looking at. I looked away when her eyes found mine. "Oh, Tom Cullen? Yeah, I have Spanish with him. Why?"

"Oh, no reason." Olivia teased, and my eyes flicked back to hers. Her lips curved into a smile.

"You like him, don't you?" Jill smirked, giving me a knowing look as I turned away again.

"He's…cute." Olivia said shyly. I focused more on her words than her scent as I held my breath. I peaked at them out of the corner of my eye as Elizabeth pitched in and pretended to tell me a story.

"Looks like he likes you, too. He keeps checking you out." Jill observed, raising her eyebrows at Olivia.

"No, he doesn't!" she said defensively, and I gritted my teeth as I saw her cheeks turn pink. It was a delicious color that stayed in my mind long after I had turned away. "Anyway, I don't think he likes me that much. He keeps giving me these weird looks, like he's upset or something. But I guess it makes sense, he _is_ a Cullen."

"Right, they're all gorgeous but they're all weird. Like, I swear his sister Ellie is anorexic. She's so pretty and sweet, but I've never seen her eat anything more than a few bites of salad. It makes me want to go buy her a cheeseburger and tell her I'll pay her to eat it. She's so pale, too. Poor girl." Jill said with sincere sympathy. This surprised me, and I began to respect Jill, even though her assumptions were completely false.

"I'm sure she's fine. Maybe you should stop watching her so much. She probably eats more food when you aren't looking." Olivia teased. "And it's not like she needs to loose weight. Nearly every guy is after her."

"Ok, let's not get too off topic. I still think you could end up with Cullen. I mean, we all thought Edward was unattainable, and then he ended up with Bella Swan. Remember?" Jill argued.

"Yes, I remember." Olivia said, sounding annoyed. The bell rang, and she got up. I listened harder over all of the noise as she met my eyes again. I looked away and got up from my seat before I could see her blush. "You know, if you like him so much, why don't _you _flirt with him?" she countered. I felt myself smile as I walked to my next class. Hopefully she didn't like me, but no one said we couldn't be friends.

As soon as school was out, I headed off to hunt. One elk and four deer later, I found myself completely full. Lying on the grass, I stared up at the sky as the sun set. Was I really destined to fall in love with this girl? Love was deep, mysterious, and strange for me. Would I ever be able to feel it? How would I know? Would she love me back? What if I loved her, and she didn't love me? This whole thing was…_stressful_. No matter what, though, I was sure that the one thing I was going to do was keep her alive. She had to live. She didn't deserve this. It was my fault. She wouldn't die, because I don't think I would be able to live with myself if she did.

But then again…I could turn this on her. It was _her _fault her blood smelled so damn good. Scratch that. I was a monster. Her blood would mean nothing to me if I were normal.

When I got back I stayed in my room and listened to Edward playing the piano once again. Then, his song was interrupted by the banging of piano keys. Judging from Emmett's booming laughter followed by Edward's chuckle, Emmett had decided to obnoxiously join in. I heard Carlisle's laugh, Esme's laugh, Rosalie's, Bella's…everyone's. Everyone seemed so happy. Everyone, except for Ellie and me, had someone else to complete them. Maybe it was time for me to at least give Olivia a shot. I would at least be building up my tolerance to human blood. So I guess I could "visit" her then.

With that, I heard a knock on my door. It opened, and there was Edward, looking excited.

"You want to visit her?" he asked. He read my thoughts again when I didn't respond. "We could go tonight." I hesitated. "We don't have to," he assured me. "But we could." I stopped to think again, weighing the pros and cons in my head, when suddenly I didn't care anymore. I was going to live forever, so I might as well have _some_ excitement.

"Let's do it." I grinned.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Move over, Edward! I can't see!" Emmett whisper-yelled, shoving Edward to the side.

"Shut up!" I muttered, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves. We were positioned in the woods behind the Cummings' house so that we could see and not be seen. But with Emmett here, I wasn't sure if we would be able to hear, and not be heard. Edward had responded by shoving Emmett back, and a wrestling match would have probably begun if they hadn't caught my dirty look.

"Sorry." They whispered, like troubled schoolboys. I just shook my head and turned my attention to the house. In the window, I could see Olivia helping her mother with the dishes. Her mother looked a lot like her. She had the same almost caramel brown hair and bright blue eyes. When her father walked by, I realized that she got her beige color from him, as her mother was far paler. She also got her tallness from him. I watched as Olivia said something, and both she and her mother laughed. When the dishes were finished, she headed up to her room. I realized with a surge of happiness when she turned on the light that we had a view of her room as well. I felt a jolt as she lay on top of her bed, staring at the ceiling, much like I did every night. _What is she thinking about?_ I wondered.

"She's thinking about you." Edward said, smiling at me.

"Funny." I spat. His smile vanished.

"I'm serious." He whispered. I looked closely at him. He seemed to be telling the truth.

"What about me?" I asked, intrigued.

"She thinks you hate her." He chuckled.

"Aww, how sweet!" Emmett cooed.

"I guess that's understandable." I said, ignoring their amusement. "I haven't exactly been friendly to her." Edward shrugged.

"The same thing happened to me with Bella." He reminded me. He looked like he was about to say something else when suddenly his head whipped to the window. I followed his gaze just in time to see Olivia opening her window slightly. The cool night air blew just enough so that her scent reached me again. I couldn't handle it. I wanted her blood, I _needed_ her blood. It barely seemed to matter that I had just hunted. That had only dulled her scent slightly. She was alone, which doubled my temptation. Just imagining how her blood would taste made my muscles coil, ready to spring. I felt Emmett and Edward holding me down, but they did not move me. Edward was trying to get me used to it. Used to _her_ scent. She was just a girl. She didn't mean anything to me, she never would. As violent images of me killing her crossed my mind, other images flickered past as well. I saw her parents, crying at her grave. I saw Carlisle and Esme there as well, comforting the mourning parents. I watched as Elizabeth, Edward, Bella, Renessme, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett stared sadly at her grave, saddened by the loss of an innocent life at my mistake. And then, I saw myself, hiding in the distance, full of agony and shame, eyes blood red.

I couldn't take it anymore. I never wanted to hurt them, but I especially didn't want to hurt Edward. He had gone through this himself, and was able to do the right thing. He was trying to help me through this. Killing the gir-Olivia, would mean that I had failed him as well as myself. I struggled to calm my breathing and stopped pushing against Emmett and Edward. I breathed in a long, shaky breath, letting her scent burn my throat. I used all of my strength to control my thoughts and shaking muscles. I exhaled, and then cautiously breathed in her scent again, ignoring the venom that filled my mouth.

"That's it, Tom." I heard Edward whisper encouragingly. I breathed in and out again, the pain easing in the slightest of ways. The guys did not loosen their grips on me, though, knowing the hunger could easily spark up again. Emmett took his turn to try and help me.

"What do you want to do?" he demanded.

"I want to control myself." I said, sounding as if I was begging my body to resist.

"Do you want to kill her?" he asked.

"Yes." I admitted in an agonized tone.

"Are you going to?"

"I don't want to-" I started.

"You don't _want_ to?" he mocked. I knew what he was getting at.

"I won't." I said firmly.

"You won't _what_?" he asked, grinning.

"I won't kill her."

"You won't?"

"I won't! I won't kill her!" I growled, letting her scent burn through my veins. Emmett laughed in disbelief and triumph.

"Looks like he's gettin' it! Let's take him back." Emmett said, lifting me up. We started to walk back, the guys still holding my arms, when I turned to look back at her window. She had just turned off the light. _I'm sorry_, I thought to her, before turning away.

The next day at school I made a mental note to myself to talk to Olivia. I needed to…I couldn't just have her go through life thinking that I had hated her all this time. I didn't. I hated _myself_, not her.

"Alright, there's about…seven minutes left of the period. You can talk amongst yourselves." Miss Bailey announced, heading to her desk. I turned my body slightly and inhaled. Olivia's scent filled my lungs once again, and I struggled to keep my face emotionless. _Control, control, control_, I chanted again. I pictured Edward's face again and promised him silently that I would keep control. If I was going to do this, I had to believe I could.

"Hello, Olivia. How are you today?" I began. She whipped her head up from the book she was reading, startled. I watched her cheeks turn pink. I swallowed.

"Oh, um. I'm good, Thomas. How are you?" she smiled softly.

"Good." I lied.

"That's good." She said, seeming happy that I was ok. Confusion and…happiness swept through me. I had no idea why she cared about what I felt, or even if she meant it, but that lifted my spirits and made this a little easier for me.

"What book are you reading?" I asked curiously.

"The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks." She responded, holding it up as if to confirm. I almost breathed again because of my surprise. Alice had been right. She was a romantic. If I could blush, I definitely would have.

"Is it good so far?" I managed to ask.

"Oh, I've already read it." She laughed softly. It was a beautiful sound, I noticed. Almost as sweet and pure as the laugh of a female vampire. "But I'm reading it again. It's one of my favorites." She added.

"I've never read it." I blurted, wondering why I was having so much trouble talking to her if I was holding my breath to keep out her scent.

"I could lend it to you, but I'm not sure…if you'll like it." She smiled shyly.

"You never know." I shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant.

"Ok, I'll lend it to you when I'm done." She beamed. I found it hard not to smile back. This girl's smile was extremely irresistible. It was like the sun rising in the east after a long night storm, heralding a new day. I was going to have to fight if I wasn't going to fall for her. I didn't even know if she liked me. And she only found me attractive because I was a vampire, and she was human. I mean, that was a start, I guess. But love? I found it doubtful she would fall in love with me. Not because of what I was, for Bella had fallen for Edward, but because of _who_ I was. If she was able to get past the fact that I was this dangerous…monster, there was a possibility that she wouldn't like me anyway. I knew I was probably overanalyzing this, but I did want a life partner. I wanted someone to love that loved me. I had gone too long being alone in that aspect.

I realized that in the six seconds it took me to think about all of that, we had been staring at each other silently. I couldn't think of what else to say, and it seemed she couldn't either. She laughed nervously and I gave her a small smile before she went back to her book. I took this time to look at her out of the corner of my eye again. Today she was wearing a navy blue cable knit turtleneck, so, thankfully, it covered her long, graceful neck. But a new challenge arose. The sweater was slightly tight and clung to her in all the right places. I looked away and stared at my Algebra book as if I was reviewing linear functions. Suddenly, the bell rang, and I saw Olivia twitch in surprise. I couldn't help smirking at that. It looked like she wasn't going to say goodbye to me like she did the other day, so I did the honors.

"Bye, Olivia." I muttered. She turned to me, surprised.

"Oh, um, bye Thomas." She said back before leaving. I smiled to myself as I breathed in the fresh air. Today had gone a lot better than I thought.

At lunch today, Elizabeth looked to be in a nasty mood.

"What's wrong, El?" I asked, confused.

"Nothing." She snapped, almost glaring at me.

"Woah, woah. Elizabeth, what is it?" I gaped at her. She paused.

"I…I…just those stupid boys again. They're getting on my nerves." She sighed. I laughed, relieved that it wasn't me who had upset her.

"That's what you get for telling them you have a boyfriend." I joked. I then ignored whatever sulky look she was probably giving me and turned my attention to the beautiful source of that lovely smell I knew so well. I could feel her eyes burning into me, but instead of meeting her gaze, I stared at my Chemistry book and tuned my ears to her.

"…way she talks to me…it's like she doesn't even care." I heard Jill complain. "And then-" I heard her start then stop. "You're staring at him again!" she accused. Almost as if it was a reflex, I looked up. Her blue eyes met mine once again.

"No, I'm not!" Olivia argued, looking away.

"Don't bullshit me, Liv. You so were. And he was definitely looking back. See what I mean?"

"Yeah, right Jill." Olivia mumbled, staring down at her sandwich as if it contained all of the answers in the world. After a long pause, she turned to Jill. "You know, the only reason why I stare at him is because I find him interesting. I can't figure him out. It's like…there's something he knows that I don't. Like a secret that he could tell me, but shouldn't."

If I had blood pumping through my body, it would have run cold at her words. What did she suspect? Had she seen more than I thought she had?

"Whatever, Liv. You're strange, you know that?" Jill rolled her brown eyes, getting up to through her trash as the bell rang.

"I'm serious! It's like…when we talk…he's so _secretive_. I feel like he's hiding something from me…and maybe he's hiding something from everyone." I heard Olivia say through the crowd.

"He's not secretive, he's mysterious. All Cullens are like that. Besides, what secrets could he possibly be hiding?"

"I…don't know." She admitted. I breathed a sigh of relief. She was just as suspicious as almost everyone else. She didn't know a thing. "Maybe he…killed someone?" she offered, smiling as if her suggestion was silly, but I could see the seriousness in her eyes. She was right on that. I had killed someone…many people in fact. I tried not to frown. That was in the past.

"Funny." Jill remarked sarcastically.

"Well, what if he ha-"

"So what if he has?" Jill interrupted, not in an angry tone, but in a tone that informed Olivia that she shouldn't care. "If you don't like him, it shouldn't matter to you."

Olivia frowned and stared at her sandwich again in her hands, finally taking a few bites before she threw it away and walked with Jill to her next class. What was _that_? Did her inability to respond to that statement mean that she liked me, or she didn't? I pondered this as I headed to my next class, not even saying goodbye to Elizabeth. Olivia was taking over my every thought.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

School became less and less tedious everyday because I now had something to look forward to. I could never seem to stop thinking about Olivia, no matter how hard I tried. At night I would lie on my bed and think of her, and wonder if she was thinking of me. But I wasn't in love with her. True, I found her physically attractive and she seemed to be a nice girl, but there was much I didn't know about her, much I still needed to figure out.

Today was Friday, the last day of the school week that I had to talk to Olivia. This very well could be the last day I talk to her until _Monday_. I knew I couldn't wait that long. Of course, I could visit her with Edward and have him tell me what she was thinking, but I wouldn't get to speak to her. When she walked into the room, I took a deep breath of clean air before her scent hit me. Her lips curved into a smile when her eyes met mine, and I gave her my crooked half-smile right back.

"Hi." She said.

"Hello." I said to her. We stared into each other's eyes, both of us seeming to be at a loss for words. I wanted to say something, but her brilliant blue eyes captivated me. Who knew a human was able to do that to a vampire? Now I knew how Edward felt. I took in her whole face. She had a small smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks that were so faint that I had never noticed them before. Her mouth was full and pouted, and was a lovely natural shade of berry pink. I knew it was natural by the way the color was unevenly pigmented, and by the way it didn't shine or give off a fruity smell. I wondered how it would be possible for her to become even more beautiful as a vampire. Then I angrily pushed that thought aside. I could not do that to her. I was not in love with her, nor did she deserve that punishment.

"Are you excited that it's Friday?" she suddenly asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, I guess." I offered politely, even though it was untrue. School was different with her.

"What are you doing this weekend?"

"Uh, just hanging out with the family I guess." That was true. I would be with Edward and Emmett a lot. And I would be talking to Carlisle and Alice often. For her.

"So, Edward, Emmett, and Alice are…your cousins?" she questioned.

"Yeah." Something like that.

"That's cool. One big family." She grinned. I smiled too.

"Yeah, it's pretty fun." Minus the fact that Emmett had beaten me in a wrestling match three out of three times the other day. I knew he was the strongest, but at least on the first two I had done pretty well. The last one wasn't even close.

"Could I…ask you something?" she blushed, as if nervous. I stiffened, but tried to keep my expression casual.

"Sure."

"Why…do you live with your aunt and uncle? Why don't you live with your parents?" she asked, looking at me warily. I tried not to breathe a sigh of relief. I needed to stop always wondering if she'd figured out what I was when I hadn't exactly given her any reason to suspect.

"My parents…died. In a car crash a couple of years ago." I mumbled. It was true, they had died, but many years ago due to the same fever that almost took my life. "I lived with…my uncle Richard for a while in Boston, but that wasn't going to well for me, so I moved here." I said. This was true in a way. As true as it was going to get for her.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, her eyes tearing up. I froze. I hadn't meant to upset her. I had forgotten that human girls reacted that way to the death of someone else's family or friends…that's what I get for lying. My eyes softened, and my hand jerked up to take her hand, to comfort her. _No_, I commanded, bringing it back down. Touching her was not a good idea. But I wanted to erase those tears, feeling incredibly ashamed that I had caused them.

"It's alright, honestly." I almost shouted, causing some students to turn around and glare at me. _Great, why don't you just yell at her some more to get her to stop crying_, I thought sarcastically to myself. I inhaled her scent, having gone without breathing for too long. It burned my throat, and I must've had a pained expression, for Olivia spoke again.

"You really miss them."

"Yes." It was true, I did. "But Carlisle and Esme are wonderful. I wouldn't change them for anything. Richard was great, too, but he barely had any time to himself. Always gone, always working, and so all of us teens were always together. There's a lot of us at Carlisle and Esme's too, but they're capable of handling it." I said, surprised at how much truth I could tell her without exposing secrets.

Miss Bailey had started some movie about how math was used in daily life, and she didn't seem to mind that many of us were not paying attention and talking amongst ourselves.

"It's fun having all of us teenagers there, but it can get a little crazy. You're lucky you don't have any siblings." I laughed. I watched as her expression hardened, and the tears reappeared. I breathed in her scent once more, managing to only shudder this time. "What? What is it? Did I say…something wrong?" I asked, searching my head to why I could have caused her pain. There I go again, hurting her. Two times in ten minutes. Way to go.

"I-It's not your fault." She assured me, trying to compose herself. "My brother, John, died of leukemia three years ago." My stomach lurched at her pain.

"I'm…sorry." I whispered, wishing more than anything that I was able to take her into my arms and comfort her. But I didn't have the strength, and she would find little comfort in my cold, hard body anyway.

"It's ok. He was a great guy-"

"I'm sure." I interrupted, doing anything I could to ease her pain.

"He was 18 when he died…he had been battling the cancer for a year and a half. He was so strong…never complained…always had a smile on his face for us…never once did he look like he was in pain."

"That takes a lot of strength." I nodded, still hurting for her. I couldn't bring myself to look into her saddened eyes. The bell rang, and Olivia gave one final sniffle before composing herself. She wiped away her tears, and said goodbye to me. "Wait, Olivia…" I called after her. She turned to face me, her eyes still full of misery. "He's in a better place now. Things will get better for you and your family, I promise." She actually smiled at me.

"Thank you, Thomas."

"I should know. I lost my brother, too." I muttered, leaving the classroom before I could say anything else and would have to breathe again. That story could wait.

In English and History class, she sat too far away from me for us to talk, but I could tell she wanted to know from the way she kept meeting my eyes. I decided I would tell her after school. It wasn't as if it was an extremely interesting story anyways. I had just sat down at lunch with Ellie when Olivia's scent washed over me. I looked up to see her hovering over the chair next to me.

"Hey, Thomas, Elizabeth, um…do you mind if I join you?" she asked hesitantly, blushing as Elizabeth glared at her. What was up with Elizabeth? She had been acting so weird lately. She was normally kind to everyone. I made a mental note to talk to her later as I tried to keep my face calm from the scent of Olivia's blood. Olivia noticed my expression at once. "If you don't want me to, it's fi-"

"No, sit down." I said to her, shooting Elizabeth a warning glance. She rolled her eyes and went back to reading The Great Gatsby.

"So, what's up?" I asked her as she opened her raspberry lemonade and took a sip.

"I, um…wanted to know about your brother, if that's ok?" she asked.

"I'm going to the bathroom." Ellie suddenly announced, stomping off with her books. Olivia looked at me in shock. I tried not to roll my eyes. Ellie was being such a drama queen this week. Normally, she wasn't like this at all.

"I'm so sorry! We don't have to talk about it. I didn't mean to upset her." Olivia insisted, her eyebrows creasing in worry.

"It's alright. My…_our_ brother is just a touchy subject for her." I said in a comforting tone.

"Ok…well, I was wondering…how he…died." She managed to say. My frozen heart warmed at the fact that she was trying to skip around saying something that might hurt me. I smiled at her, trying to ignore her scent that burned down my throat.

"He…committed suicide after my parents died." I lied. "It was too much for him I guess."

"That's awful! I'm so sorry." Her eyes watered again. I wanted to shift the subject to avoid her tears, even though she had been the one who wanted to know. But the fact that I was lying to her was killing me inside. I had to do it, but I didn't want to, and it was making her upset as well.

"If you want, we could visit our brothers' graves sometime." She offered.

"Oh, my brother's buried in Boston." I lied again. I had no idea where he was buried. All I knew was that he had been in a different hospital than me with the fever. "But I'd like to come with you to visit yours." I nodded. I breathed again, letting her scent torture me. I closed my eyes just for a second to regain control. When I opened them, she was smiling at me.

"Ok. Maybe next week sometime. I'll let you know." She said, reaching out for my hand. For some reason, I didn't feel the need to pull away. My hand just froze there as her hand took it. The warmth and pulsing veins excited the monster part of me again, but it was overwhelmed by how wonderful it felt to have her hand on mine. "Jeez, you're hand is so cold!" she exclaimed, laughing. I snapped back to reality and my eyes hardened. Her heartbeat increased. I was about to jerk my hand away when I realized that she hadn't let go. The bell rang, and we stared at each other still.

"Yeah, they always are." I grinned, taking her hand in mine before I let go. She smiled back, heading off to her friend Jill, who looked like she was about ready to explode from excitement. My hand tingled from where she had touched it.

"Oh. My. God! Tell me everything!" Jill demanded as they walked off.

When I got back to the Cullen household, Jasper and Alice were gone.

"They've gone off to hunt." Edward told me when I picked up Nessie.

"Ok." I replied, smiling at the little girl. "Hey, Nessie." She put her hand to my head, and showed me Alice and Jazz saying goodbye to everyone before they left. I nodded.

"I'm sure that's not _all_ they're doing while they're out there." Emmett called from his spot in front of the flatscreen.

"Shut up, Em! I didn't need to hear that." I shouted over his booming laughter, although, he probably was wrong anyway. Alice and Jasper had a different kind of love then him and Rose. One look between Alice and Jazz and you knew they were sharing something so intense that you had to look away. I put Nessie down and she walked gracefully over to Bella, who was standing over where Emmett was seated.

"I don't know why you find this so fascinating." She commented to Emmett, who was watching a college football game.

"You know it is, Bells." He grinned at her.

I was surprised that Edward, Bella, and Nessie spent so much time here with all of us when they could be at the cottage.

"Renessme likes it better here." Edward said, answering my thoughts. "She gets bored at the cottage. She likes being with all of us. Plus, she feels closer to Jacob when she's here." At the mention of Jake's name, I saw Nessie's eyes brighten, and she smiled in Bella's arms. Even the little one had found love, whereas I had not.

"You will. Olivia is very fond of you." Edward murmured.

"Really?" I gaped at him, unable to grasp what she could ever see in me.

"Yes. She likes you more than you think she does." I paused, musing this over. "She feels a connection with you because you have both lost your brothers. You both know what it's like."

"Well, that's a start." I said, enthusiasm creeping into my voice. "Even though I lost my brother around 80 years ago…did you know that she had lost her brother?" I felt like I already knew the answer to that.

"Yes. We all did. He died while we were still in school."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I said, my voice rising in anger. Bella shot a concerned look in my direction, and Nessie looked at us curiously.

"Because we figured that it would be something better said by her. We wanted her to be the one to tell you. Besides, if you already knew, that wouldn't make sense to her." He stated.

"That's true." I admitted. He was right. I just didn't like everyone else knowing something about Olivia that I didn't.

"Would you like to visit her tomorrow?" he asked suddenly. I was caught off guard. I had to think about it. Was I ready? I didn't want to go if I wasn't capable of keeping her safe. "I think you can handle it." He promised.

"Are you sure? I mean, Alice isn't even here, so-"

"You've been getting used to it. It'll be fine. No one said it would be easy. But you'll manage." He finished. I was still doubtful, even though he seemed so sure.

"Ok…" I trailed off.

"It'll be just me and you…we won't even need Emmett." He assured me.

"Hey, why don't I get to go? I'm starting to like this girl!" Emmett complained. I rolled my eyes at him, and he laughed, chucking a pillow at me. It flew toward me, but I caught it as if it were going at a normal speed, and not freakishly fast.

"You're such a kid, Em." I grinned at him.

"What can I say?" He shrugged.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
"You can go on ahead." Edward told me as Bella and I came to a stop behind him. We were in front of the Cummings' household once again. "I brought Bella here to keep me company." He grinned, pulling her in for a kiss.  
"Yup. You know me. I'm just here for his pleasure." Bella laughed. I ignored the display of their love for one another. It reminded me of how alone I was. But that could change. I heard a low rumble of thunder off in the east as I dashed quickly to her window. I hopped onto the huge oak right beside it, and perched myself on the branch closest to her window. The curtains were slightly open, and I could hear the low hum of music playing. I could see that she was reading her book again. I paused. I couldn't just sit here, watching her. As beautiful as she was to watch, it wasn't enough. I had to talk to her. I hopped off the tree, landing on the ground with a thud as another thunder clap echoed.  
"What is he doing?" I heard Bella whisper as if she were standing right next to me, her voice rising in panic.  
"He wants to talk to her. Don't worry, it looks like he has a plan. If we need to, we'll get him out." Edward assured her.  
I rang the doorbell and waited. Olivia answered the door 13 seconds later. Her scent hit me once again, but I didn't let the pain show. In an oversized tee that stopped three inches above her knee, her hair in a messy bun, and not a trace of makeup on her face, she looked more beautiful than anything I had ever seen in my entire existence.  
"Hey, Thomas. What are you doing here?" she smiled coolly at me.  
"I was in the neighborhood so I decided to stop by and say hi. I was visiting the Swan residence with Edward…she lives just a few minutes down there." I said, never taking my eyes off hers.  
"And how did you know where I lived?" she smirked, trying to catch some flaw in my story. I grinned at her. I wouldn't give her one.  
"Bella told me. She said that your parents were good friends with Charlie…and that you and her had gym together two years ago." And that part was the truth. I had done enough homework to pass her test. A flash of lightening sparked, making her flinch. The wind picked up as the thunder roared.  
"My parents aren't home. It's their anniversary, but-"  
"Oh, well then I won't trouble you." I said in false concern, turning to leave.  
"No, wait!" she called, grabbing my arm. I felt the warmth of her hand through my coat. "Come in…at least until the storm passes. I'd like some company." She offered. I smiled, following her inside. Her scent was overwhelming, but I let it burn. I couldn't hurt her. "Do you want anything? Pop…pretzels…ice cream-"  
"No, thank you." I said hastily.  
"Ok." She said, getting out a coke from her fridge and taking a swig. I watched as she made her way to the den, sat on the couch, and flipped on the TV. I hadn't moved from the Welcome mat beneath me. I had no idea what to say or do. Olivia met my eyes again, and patted the spot on the couch next to her, her eyes sparkling even in the dim light. I tensed. This would be the true test. I inhaled her scent once more and let it torture my throat before I walked over and sat down next to her. Being so close to her was extremely exhilarating, but also terribly frightening. I could hear her heart skip a beat when my clothed arm brushed her bare one, and then it resumed to normal. I could hear every breath she took. It made the monster inside me want her even more than I ever had…but I couldn't. I couldn't hurt her.  
I didn't even know what we were watching. Some stupid game show. The rain began pounding on the ground outside, and then on her roof. Olivia looked to the window when her human ears finally picked it up. The storm was not very violent. A few flashes and low rumbles of thunder, and it was gone. I had been staring at the TV absentmindedly, thinking about Olivia, when I looked down to see that she had fallen asleep. I had heard her slowed breathing, but was too caught up in my daydreams of her to think anything of it. The clock said it was just after eleven. I had been here for around two hours. As shocking as that seemed, I felt oddly content. We had not uttered a single word to each other while we sat here, and yet I felt closer to her.  
My eyes found their way back to her again, sleeping peacefully on the couch.

I got up slowly, so as not to wake her, and gently lifted her up. The fact that I was a vampire ensured that she had not felt a thing, except for maybe a change in temperature. Her body was relaxed perfectly into mine, and I could feel its warmth through my clothes. I ignored the monster inside of me once again as it begged for her blood. I took her to her room and carefully laid her on her bed. She shivered, probably because of me, and I placed her covers all around her. I watched as a small smile appeared on her lips. She was dreaming good things. I smiled. Before I left, an idea came to me. I wanted to try one thing. I leaned toward her face, ignoring my burning throat and rampaging dead heart. I brought my cold lips down and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. Her long, dark lashes fluttered, but her breathing did not change. She did not wake. I was left to stare at this piece of perfection, frozen in time, and all mine, just for this one moment. But as the minutes passed, I knew I had to leave. I could always return, to see if she was safe, to see if she was dreaming good things. But she needed her peace. I found a scrap piece of lilac colored paper on her dresser along with a pen, and scribbled my goodbye.  
Left around 11. Locked the door behind me.  
Don't worry. See you on Monday.  
-Thomas


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
When I got back to the Cullens I couldn't believe what had happened. I had no idea that I had that much control in me. I was actually able to sit next to her for two hours and then carry her up to her room and kiss her on the forehead! It wasn't easy, that was for sure, but I had done it. I was so thrilled with myself, and Edward was too.  
"See, Thomas? I knew you could keep control." He beamed at me. Suddenly, his expression changed. "Oh. Alice and Jazz are almost here." He said, starring at the door. The rest of our family started filing into the front area. Before I could even respond, he continued. "And Alice has some…thing to tell you."  
"What? What is it? What do you-" I started, panicking. Did something happen to someone? Did something happen to Olivia?  
"She'll tell you." Edward murmured mysteriously, just as Alice and Jasper walked in.  
"Hey everyone!" Alice trilled in her wind-chime voice, giving all of us a hug. "I have some big news for Thomas." She announced. We all listened expectantly. I had absolutely no idea what she was going to say, and my mind raced. "I wanted to inform you that Ben and Maddie are planning to visit."  
Honestly, I was excited. I hadn't seen them in so long. I worried strongly about the safety of Olivia, since they drank human blood, but I was sure that they would hunt before they came. I smiled. I trusted them.  
"But that's not all. Thomas, they found your brother." Alice said to me. Everyone's eyes shifted to face me. What? How could this be? He was _dead_. He either died when I almost did or died later. This was impossible. He couldn't be…  
"No!" I snarled instantly, frightening Esme.  
"Thomas thought he was dead. Who changed him?" Edward asked calmly.  
"I don't know. You'll have to ask him." she said simply. "They should be here shortly."  
In an hour, they had arrived. The first to come through the door was Madeline. Her long blonde hair hung straight down her back all the way down to her elbows. Her eyes were a deep red. She was wearing a cropped leather jacket that I had never seen her in before  
"Tommy!" she sing-songed, pulling me into a hug. Benjamin followed, his blonde hair in a million different directions.  
"Hey, Tommy boy." He grinned, pulling me into what he called a "man-hug". "Damn, your eyes look funny." He commented. I could barely smile back. I was too anxious waiting for the next figure to walk in…to see if he was real. I had heard another person breathing, so they definitely had someone else with them. When the boy walked in, I let out a low growl. It was my older brother indeed. He stood slightly taller than me, like he always had. He had the same tousled brown hair as me. But instead of the blue eyes that we used to share, his eyes were also blood red.  
"Why are you here, Damien?" I demanded.  
"Woah, woah, woah. Here I am, seeing you for the first time in, like, a century, and this is the greeting I get?" he smirked.  
"Sorry about Thomas. He's just worried about some human girl." Ellie spat, pushing me aside to give Damien a hug.  
"Hey, Ellie. Long time, no see." He greeted. "So you like a human girl?" he asked, amusement in his red eyes. I didn't respond. I had too many emotions running through me. I was elated that my brother wasn't dead, like I had thought, but I didn't want him here or anywhere near Olivia. "He does, doesn't he?" Damien smiled to the silent, worried faces of the Cullens. "You'll have to show her to me."  
"No!" I growled, snapping to life. If I could barely contain myself around Olivia, I didn't even want to think about how he would fare, since he drank human blood. Damien raised his eyebrows at me, grinning.  
"Come on, bro. I won't hurt her."  
"No, Damien. Don't even think about going off to her alone." Edward snapped. "The problem is that she has a particularly appealing scent, and he doesn't want to risk you hurting her."  
"This is…" Damien paused. "Intriguing."  
"So, we can't meet this girl?" Ben asked quietly.  
"No, you can't." I hissed. Never. They could never.  
"Fine, then I will go find her." Damien said simply dashing out the door.  
"No!" I roared, running after him. If he reached Olivia, it was over.


End file.
